NARUTO COLUMNS
06/09/2024
[Birthday Column] Celebrating Itachi's Birthday on 6/9! Looking Back on the Ninja and Brother Who Always Staked His Life on What Truly Mattered!
A column celebrating the birthdays and achievements of everyone's favorite ninja!
Today we'll be reminiscing about the man whose strong love for his brother and village led him to harden his heart for their sake: Itachi Uchiha!
Today we'll be reminiscing about the man whose strong love for his brother and village led him to harden his heart for their sake: Itachi Uchiha!
■Itachi Uchiha
・Birthday: June 9th (Gemini)
・Favorite Foods: Kelp rice balls, cabbage
Itachi's Shinobi Way: Peace Above All
Itachi is born to Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha in a world wracked by chaos. When he is four years old, he is caught up in the Third Great Ninja War and witnesses countless deaths. The experience causes him to hate conflict and wish for peace across the land.
Afterwards, Itachi graduates from the Ninja Academy at the young age of seven. Considered to be one of the most gifted students since the academy's opening, he awakens his Sharingan at eight, and is promoted to Chunin at ten.
Itachi prioritizes the stability of the village over loyalty to his clan, but this ends up putting him in a complicated situation. In direct contradiction to Itachi's own ideals, the Uchiha clan begins planning a coup d'etat to take control of Konoha. Fugaku is directing this rebellion, and orders his son to join the Black Ops unit directly under the Hokage, intending to make Itachi a spy for the Uchiha.
However, Itachi is also recruited by Konoha's leadership to act as their spy within the Uchiha clan. This eventually leads to him being given a top-secret mission: the merciless annihilation of the Uchiha.
Itachi remembers the shinobi way of his best friend Shisui Uchiha, who he looks up to like a brother: "True shinobi do not seek glory. They protect from the shadows. That is the mark of a true ninja." He chooses to end the enmity between the Uchiha and the Leaf Village by casting himself as the villain and slaughtering the rest of the clan.
"NOW I REGRET...
NOT TELLING YOU EVERYTHING...
...BEFORE IT'D COME TO THIS..."
This includes clan members he's fought alongside—and even his own father and mother.
Despite the kindness of his father's final words and his own unstoppable tears, he locks away his feelings and carries out the massacre of his kin.
Despite the kindness of his father's final words and his own unstoppable tears, he locks away his feelings and carries out the massacre of his kin.
He leaves only his younger brother alive.
Protecting His Brother, No Matter the Cost
Itachi's brother Sasuke is five years younger than him.
"DON'T CRY, SASUKE...
NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, YOUR BIG BRO WILL PROTECT YOU..."
Although he is usually poker-faced, in front of Sasuke Itachi's expression was always gentle.
They often played hide and seek or practiced throwing shuriken together.
Itachi's care as an older brother was obvious when he carried Sasuke on his back after the young boy twisted his ankle.
He also prioritized Sasuke's academy entrance ceremony over a special mission that would guarantee him entry into the Black Ops, butting heads with his father to make sure Sasuke had a family member present.
Deep down, Itachi may have resented the rest of the Uchiha for fixating on their clan's power at the expense of the village's peace.
"MY ABILITY'S BEEN...
...REPRESSED BY THIS PATHETIC CLAN."
But even so, when talking to his brother he presented them as a proud and noble clan in order not to disillusion Sasuke.
"THE ONLY ONES CAPABLE OF CRACKING DOWN ON SHINOBI CRIME...
...ARE EVEN GREATER SHINOBI."
However, the other side of that caring sibling was a double agent who held the very fate of the village in his hands. To avoid involving Sasuke in the conflict between clan and village, Itachi slowly distanced himself from his brother.
As the fateful day drew near, what influenced Itachi's decision the most was his unwillingness to allow his little brother to come to harm.
Itachi resolved to lie to Sasuke, saying that the previous kindness he showed was just a façade, and setting himself up to be the target of Sasuke's revenge. Hoping to guide Sasuke down the right path, Itachi made a choice he knew would lead to death at his brother's hands, playing the part of a ruthless murderer who slaughtered their entire clan on a whim.
"YOU'VE ALWAYS HOPED TO SURPASS ME, SO I'LL LET YOU LIVE...
...FOR MY SAKE."
Battle Between Brothers
After the Uchiha massacre, Itachi becomes a rogue shinobi and joins the criminal organization "Akatsuki". Despite being far from the village, he keeps a watchful eye on Sasuke.
However, Sasuke also goes rogue from Konoha, heading down a different path than the one Itachi envisioned for him. Concerned about how events may play out after his death, he decides to believe in Naruto's desire to save Sasuke, and sets up a failsafe to protect the Leaf Village even if Sasuke were to completely lose himself in rage.
And then, the siblings' reunion takes place at last.
Sasuke appears before Itachi, having grown much stronger and brandishing a blade full of hatred.
Itachi's path is already set, and he plays the villain to the hilt.
"WE ARE EACH OTHER'S SPARES!!
THIS IS THE TRUE BOND BETWEEN THE BROTHERS OF THE UCHIHA!!"
Itachi attacks Sasuke seriously. His goal is not just to provide a target for Sasuke's hatred, but also to free him from the curse mark.
Though he has already pushed his illness-ridden body past its limits, he carries on for the sake of his brother.
At the very end of the duel, when both of them have fully exhausted their chakra, Itachi uses the last of his strength to smile as the kind brother he once was, and speak his final words.
A Final Farewell
Itachi takes his secret to the grave, but thanks to Kabuto's use of the Reanimation Jutsu he is returned to the world of the living.
The reanimated Itachi runs into Naruto, whom he once entrusted with his hopes for Sasuke. Itachi learns from Naruto that Sasuke found out the truth behind the Uchiha massacre, and has sworn revenge on the village that used Itachi to carry out its dirty work.
"SASUKE IS NOT LIKE YOU.
HE'S REALLY GOING TO DESTROY KONOHA!
HE'S GOING TO KILL EVERYONE THAT MADE YOU SUFFER!"
Even after his death, Itachi is still worrying over Sasuke.
Itachi is even surer than ever that the one who can change Sasuke is not himself, but the ever-straightforward Naruto. He once again entrusts his hopes to the boy while determining what he himself must do, this time learning from his past mistakes.
In order to break the Reanimation Jutsu, Itachi seeks out Kabuto. On the way, he unexpectedly comes face-to-face with Sasuke.
Sasuke wants to hear the whole story directly from his brother, but Itachi will not be swayed from his pursuit of Kabuto.
When Sasuke refuses to relent in his questioning, Itachi makes a concession.
"I HAVE TO TELL YOU SOMETHING.
AFTER WE HAVE SETTLED THINGS HERE."
Their goals aligned, the two brothers take down Kabuto. The moment the Reanimation Jutsu is undone—
"THERE'S...
STILL TIME..."
—Itachi finally opens up to Sasuke.
No matter their choices, no matter the paths they take, their bond as brothers cannot be erased. Itachi passes on once more as he reveals the truth he has kept locked up inside ever since the fateful day that he killed their clan.
"EVEN IF IT MEANS BEING HATED...
THAT'S WHAT BIG BROTHERS ARE FOR."
That's all for Itachi's birthday column!
Take this opportunity to reread the manga and look back on the sacrifices and brotherly love of Itachi Uchiha!
Take this opportunity to reread the manga and look back on the sacrifices and brotherly love of Itachi Uchiha!
Article and Composition: Yu Kawasaki (Caramel mama)
・Please be aware that some news articles contain machine-translated text. As a result, some expressions may be unusual or difficult to understand. ・Unless otherwise specified, all dates and times are displayed in Japan Standard Time (JST/UTC+9).
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